With so many miles of freeways and roads, Houston can sometimes look like a concrete jungle. But Houston—or H-town, as we locals sometimes call it—is also home to countless acres of parks and greenery. Today the Houston Parks and Recreation Department maintains some 350 parks, as well as more than 200 esplanades and other green spaces. And that’s not even all of the area parks: Just southwest of Houston is a major state park, Brazos Bend State Park, and around the city are more than 50 parks operated by Harris County.
Overview
With so many parks, you’ve got a wealth of recreational opportunities here. Want to bike at a velodrome? There’s a park for that. Want to practice shooting or go camping? We’ve got parks where you can do those things, too. Love nature? Get your fill of wildlife watching at Brazos Bend State Park and the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center in Memorial Park. With several parks located along Buffalo Bayou, there are also opportunities to canoe, kayak, or fish right in the middle of the city. Houston’s even got skate parks, which you can learn about in the “Recreation” chapter. And of course, many of our parks also have picnic areas, playgrounds, basketball and tennis courts, soccer and baseball fields, off-leash dog areas, and shaded trails for hiking, biking, walking, and running.
The parks here aren’t just for solo visits or small gatherings, though: Parks like Hermann Park and Discovery Green bring Houstonians and visitors together for festivals and special events throughout the year. Groups also use the parks for special family or neighborhood events, weddings, company picnics, and sports tournaments on park fields. Organized events like these require a permit, so contact the Houston Parks and Recreation Department (713-865-4500) if you’re planning a sizeable gathering.
The majority of parks here are the smaller neighborhood variety sprinkled throughout the city. Most have publicly accessible playgrounds and some also have pools, tennis and basketball courts, and soccer or baseball fields. Although the playgrounds and other open areas are typically open to the public, pools, athletic courts, and fields are often available only to neighborhood residents or groups that reserve the area in advance.
Because there are so many parks in the Houston area, it’s impossible to list and describe them all. The parks in this chapter are among the city’s biggest, best, and most visited.
With the exception of Brazos Bend State Park, all of the parks listed in this chapter are located in Houston proper. For a complete list of Houston-area parks, visit the websites of the Houston Parks and Recreation Department (houstonparks.org), Harris County (hctx.net/parks/park.asp), and the Buffalo Bayou Conservancy (buffalobayou.org). Maps of the listed parks can be downloaded from their corresponding websites.
Parking is free at most area parks, though you may have to pay for a spot when visiting urban parks like Discovery Green and Hermann Park.
No matter how you prefer to get in shape and relax, you’ll find plenty of recreational and fitness opportunities in Houston. Thanks to Houston’s Buffalo Bayou location and its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico and area lakes, this is a great place to get your fill of water-based activities such as fishing, kayaking, canoeing, waterskiing, windsurfing, and boating. Prefer drier activities? Houston’s got you covered there, too: Hunters can pursue deer, fowl, and other animals around these parts, and campers can pitch a tent or sleep in bunk beds at a few area parks. The miles of trails in the city’s parks are great for runners, especially those training for races. Cyclist? You can use many of these same trails, as well as the local velodrome. Skaters can take advantage of several skate parks, join a roller or hockey league, or skate for fun at one of the local roller- or ice-skating rinks. And rock climbers can get their fix at two local rock-climbing gyms.
Is golf or tennis more your thing? With several public golf courses and tennis courts around the city, Houston offers plenty of opportunities to practice and play.
Overview
It would take several volumes to list and describe every possible recreational activity, league, and facility in town. But the activities and locales listed in this chapter are some of the most popular (in the case of facilities and activities) and best (in terms of facilities).